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Let me start by saying...there is nothing like a post deadline to make you get something done! I have known for two weeks that this project was scheduled for today but just kept procastinating! So I owe my new lamp to all of you in the blog world...so thank you. With that being said...the project was not overly difficult or too time consuming; I did it in a day while juggling (not literally) two toddlers. So without further ado...here is how to take an old, dirty, Asian inspired lamp and turn it into something new, fresh, and still Asian inspired!
The Finished product...just so you know what your reading for!
I have had this little Asian lady for awhile. I bought it at a fleamarket years ago and have really done nothing with it! I was inspired a couple of weeks ago by Sherry over at Young House Love to go ahead and actually DO something with all of the "projects" I tend to accumulate!
She was a lovely avacado color with a black "tree" background - but a little rough around the edges all those years as a geisha....
An upclose of all the grime/dust/dirt this little lady was carrying around with her
She had a little hole in her right side that needed some attending to
I just used regular ole' wall spackle and really built it up so when it dried I could sand it down and be ready for paint all in one step!
After the spackle dried it was time for a bath! I'm sure the hubby is regretting that argument we had now...haha Just kidding it is the kitchen toothbrush!
This was after the first coat of spray paint. It took like 6 more! But it is better to do several thin coats to get even coverage and no runs. What the picture is not showing is my three year old trying to "water" the lamp.
All Painted!
I decided to put this lamp in the dining room. We don't have much going on in there and honestly the buffet had been a dumping ground for vases from weddings past. So that helped me to determine what fabric I wanted to use to recover the lampshade. I chose a big buffaloe check that I have had for awhile because I thought it would look really fresh with the Asian lady and also compliment the grey walls in that room. Sooo..onto the lampshade redo!
I spread the fabric on the floor and rolled the lamp along the fabric, making a line where the bottom edge of the shade was. It ended up being a smiley-face looking line. I kept the bottom ledge on that line and did the same rolling technique for the top. I then added about 1/2 inch to the bottom and the top to account for the wrapping of the fabric over the edge of the shade. What I ended up with was a macaroni noodle shaped piece of fabric.
This is my checked macaroni. I used a little starch and an iron to make sure it was nice and smooth.
I used watered down wood glue (that is what I had) and brushed the entire lampshade with a foam brush. I then carefully (like 4 times) layed the macaroni shaped fabric over the shade so I had about 1/2 inch hanging over the top and the bottom. I also used the iron to make a seam on one end so the edge looked nice when it overlapped the "unhemmed" one.
I tried to add ribbon to the inside to make it a little more finished but....it just wouldn't lay flat and I didn't have time to troubleshoot it. I thought I would let you know about the failures as well as the successes...just keepin' it real!
I then used the wood glue (straight, not
on the rocks
diluted) and a q-tip to add glue directly to the fabric that I was folding over the edge of the shade to finish off my project. I also added some glue to my finger and just smeared some on top of the fabric just to make sure everything stayed where it should. Everyone loves to finger paint with glue....
What...where is the lamp? Just thought I would let you know what the buffet looked like before the lamp inspired me to add some decor!
Had to add something better than empty glass to compliment my new lamp.
And in case you were wondering...the lamp works as well! Nothing better than beauty and function!
So there you have it...my journey with my lamp...exciting stuff....My husband and I are getting ready to put the house on the market so we can move into the carriage house on the venue property so I am sure it will inspire more improve-what-you-have-to-make-your-house-more-desireable projects. (That is officially what they are called...it is an adjective) What do you have going on? Anything begging for spraypaint?
